Shutters are designed to cover architectural openings, such windows. Since these openings may come in various sizes, it is desirable to supply shutters which can accommodate varying opening sizes. The present invention addresses the issue of supplying shutters which are readily adjustable to fit into openings of varying height or length. Also, shutters typically include a tilt bar, attached to every louver, for tilting the louvers to an open or closed position. The tilt bar may be considered to detract from the aesthetic appearance of the shutter, and it reduces the viewing area through the shutter. The use of concealed tilt bars and rack and pinion driven louvers is known in the prior art. However, these prior art devices have manufacturing and operational problems.
In typical prior art embodiments of shutters with concealed tilt mechanisms, the louver pin is attached to the louver during the fabricating process and becomes a part of the louver. In many cases, the pins are inserted into round drilled holes in the ends of the louver. This round hole connection generally is unable to transfer a large moment arm between the louver and the pin (as may be required if the tilting movement of a single louver is expected to cause all the other louvers in the shutter to tilt with it). In the prior art, the louvers are assembled into the frame as the frame is being assembled. The failure of a louver (for instance when the pin-to-louver joint fails because the joint is asked to transfer a moment arm which is larger than what it can handle) means that the panel must be dismantled in order to reach and replace or repair the failed part.